Absolut Vodka goes green with a test-run for recyclable paper-based bottles

Posted on 15/06/2023 by Ida Torres

We’re seeing a lot of brands and products experiment with their packaging. To become more eco-friendly and sustainable, a lot of product designers have been using materials that can be recycled and can also make it more convenient for their users. We’re all still trying to adjust to paper straws (even though a lot of people find it irritating), so are we ready to have paper bottles for our drinks?

Designer: Absolut

Absolut Vodka will become the “first global spirits brand” that will be selling their products in single-mould paper-based bottles. While plastic and glass bottles are already recyclable, having a “fully bio-based bottle” will be something that will further reduce their CO2 emissions and will also make their liquor lighter in terms of weight and packaging. Their three-month test in British supermarket chain Tesco will hopefully be successful enough that they will make it available elsewhere.

The single-mould paper bottles will be available for their 500ml-sized drinks. These are made from 57% paper and to make it sturdy, it has an integrated barrier made from recyclable plastic. They will also be using 40% ABV of the Absolut Vodka as compared to the 5% from their initial pilot run for the Absolut Mixt ready-to-drink. Users can recycle the bottles as paper waste or if it’s sturdy enough, they may even re-use the bottles for some other purpose.

The goal for this test run is to see how the paper-based bottles will transport to the stores where they will be available. They also want to see how people will perceive having a paper bottle, as there are still some very strong opinions about the aforementioned paper straws. Design-wise, the bottles are still carrying the “apothecary-inspired design” with the usual logos and labels. They also believe that these bottles will not replace the glass ones that are already iconic but it can complement them eventually.

The post Absolut Vodka goes green with a test-run for recyclable paper-based bottles first appeared on Yanko Design.

This biodegradable prescription pill bottle is an open-source design made from paper & its child-proof!

Posted on 03/04/2021 by Ruchi Thukral

Prescription medications are only packaged in stores in plastic containers and about 90% of them are not recycled, according to Tikkun Olam Makers, an Israel-based collective, that is constantly working to solve social and environmental problems with innovation. To battle plastic waste generated from the pharmaceutical industries they’ve created the Prescription Paper Pill Bottle and yes, it is child-safe!

Each year 4-5 billion bottles made of polypropylene plastic are made for prescription medication and then end up as non-biodegradable waste which means it can’t be naturally broken down and adds to the pollution levels. Usually, these pill bottles are small and end up in landfills or water dumps creating microparticles and toxic waste that is dangerous for the environment. Tikkun Olam Makers designed a paper pill bottle that’s 100% compostable, biodegradable, meets FDA regulations for water, light, and child resistance! When the bottle is empty, it can be composted to add more value to the soil without leaving behind any harmful waste.

“The Prescription Paper Pill Bottle, a first of its kind, is 100% compostable and biodegradable. Its open-source design adheres to FDA regulations for durability, light, water, and child resistance. It’s available to any pharmacy for filling prescription tablets and capsules. Once used then emptied, the paper bottle can be tossed into any compostable bin with its Rx label to decompose and be reused as fertilizer to safely replenish the soil in fields, gardens, and landscapes,” says the team. Tikkun Olam Makers made it an open-source design which means anyone anywhere in the world can use their method and make their own paper pill bottles by downloading the .stl file that contains the attendant images and assembly instructions.

Designer: Tikkun Olam Makers

Coca-Cola, the world’s largest plastic polluter, is testing out the viability of paper bottles

Posted on 23/02/2021 by Sarang Sheth

It seems like the title of the world’s largest plastic polluter (for 4 years in a row) is finally beginning to get on the nerves of the executives at Coca-Cola. After making a statement only last year that they don’t intend on breaking free from plastic, the company’s slowly begun re-evaluating its supply chain and choice of materials.

Thanks to a partnership with Danish company Paboco (Paper Bottle Company), Coca-Cola has now unveiled its first ‘paper bottle’. Available for a limited online trial in Hungary, Coca-Cola is planning a run of 2,000 bottles of the plant-based beverage AdeZ. It’s barely anything to begin with, but it is a start… and it gives Paboco, the company behind the bottle’s design, a much-needed boost.

Paboco’s paper bottle comes with an inner bio-polymer lining to provide a waterproof barrier (so that the paper doesn’t get soggy). The outer layer is made from a Nordic wood-pulp-based paper, and provides the perfect substrate for printing on, eliminating the need for a label. The bottle itself can be molded quite like plastic bottles are, paving the way for the use of forms, textures, and patterns to help the product stand-out… and the necks of the bottle can be threaded too, allowing for the use of a paper cap (with the option of the crimped metal caps too). While the bottle is biodegradable, Coca-Cola hopes to develop a design and supply chain that allows bottles to be recycled just like paper. “Our vision is to create a paper bottle that can be recycled like any other type of paper, and this prototype is the first step on the way to achieving this,” said Stijn Franssen, EMEA R&D Packaging Innovation Manager at Coca-Cola.

Coca-Cola’s limited run should be met with a bit of skepticism (after all, 2000 bottles isn’t enough, is it?) but the challenges faced by the company are understandable. Bottles can easily get crushed or damaged when transported in large volumes, a complication that exponentially increases with CO2-filled pressurized beverage containers. AdeZ, however, seems to be the perfect candidate for this trial run, given that it’s a thick, dairy-free smoothie that contains seeds, fruit juices, and vitamins. If successful, Coca-Cola may look to gradually expand on this approach, helping it achieve the company’s “World Without Waste” sustainable packaging goal of substantially reducing its waste footprint and developing solutions for easily recycling its bottles and cans, and shifting to using only 100% recyclable packaging materials by the year 2030.

Designers: Paboco & Coca-Cola